


i'll follow you across the country

by daisieflowers



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friendship, Multi, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 08:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21296396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisieflowers/pseuds/daisieflowers
Summary: Robin has officially been accepted into the University of Berkeley and Steve is following her across the country to California. Join the two best friends as they embark on their next adventure in their lives.
Relationships: Robin Buckley & Original Character(s), Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Robin Buckley & The Party, Robin Buckley/Original Female Character(s), Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Steve Harrington & Original Character(s), Steve Harrington & The Party, Steve Harrington/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	i'll follow you across the country

**Author's Note:**

> This story technically belongs in the same universe as the other stranger things fics i've wrote, but I didn't add them to the series because Nancy doesn't really make an appearance in this story. This can be read without reading my other fics there are just some small references to things that happened in the, but none that won't make sense.
> 
> I'm not from America so all location knowledge etc came from google. sorry if i got anything wrong.

The pair spend the weekend before they travel packing up all the things they will need into cardboard boxes, with suitcases for their clothes. They pack all the boxes into Steve's burgundy BMW, it is a little tight but they manage to fit everything in and it makes them feel good. The drive they have ahead of them is long and it will take them several days by the time they stop over in motels, but that doesn't deter from the excitement that fills the pair with the idea of finally getting out of Hawkins, Indiana after feeling trapped in the small town for so long.

The two of them decide to leave on the Wednesday morning in order to arrive at their new apartment on Friday afternoon, which will allow them the weekend to unpack and settle in. Robin's parents drop her off at Steve's house early on the morning. They bid her farewell in a teary goodbye, promises from Robin that she will phone them as soon as she arrives at the new apartment and Robin's dad telling Steve to keep his daughter safe.

Surprisingly for Steve, his own parents are also home, a brief stop off on their way to whatever new European excursion they plan on taking. His mom hugs him goodbye and tells him to stay safe, Steve enjoying the irony of how she never wished him that as she left him alone in Hawkins which posed considerably higher risks than Berkeley, California. His dad gives him a stiff smile and slips him a brand new credit card, saying he will see him when he returns in six months’ time, when he realises California is not for him. Steve keeps his own smile tight lipped and takes the card even though he vows to try and never use it, making the silent promise to prove his dad wrong.

Dustin and his mom also make an appearance much to the surprise of Steve and Robin. Mrs Henderson is a little emotional, pulling Steve in for a tight hug and thanking him for everything he has done for her son. Steve fights the urge to remind her that it's him who owes the thanks to Dustin. Steve pulls Dustin in for a hug goodbye, ignoring his dad who rolls his eyes in annoyance behind their backs, as he reminds the younger lad that he will phone him once they get to their new apartment and that Dustin can phone them whenever he wants. 

After emotional goodbyes from everyone, the pair finally pile into the packed car, a newly required cool bag full of homemade meals that Mrs Henderson had gifted them with and Steve didn't have the heart to say that they probably would not last the three day journey to California.

The pair spend the next few days on the road, each taking turns to drive down the never ending roads as they blast music and sing at the top of their lungs. They stop over in cheap motels that Steve never would have even considered staying in before he met Robin. They see the sign that welcomes them to California in the early light of Friday morning, and by the time Friday lunch time rolls around they are pulling into the parking complex by their new apartment block.

The apartment is significantly smaller than either of them are used to. Steve has lived in his Hawkins mansion all his life, and he has had it to himself pretty much from the age of 13. In turn, Robin has lived in her two story, three-bedroomed house with her parents all her life.

The apartment is already furnished, which is one of the reasons why they chose this apartment over a slightly bigger one. But even though the apartment was considered furnished, the furniture it comes with is minimum. The main room of the apartment, the living room, includes a three seated sofa, large arm chair, one book case stacked against a wall and a television in the corner. They then have a room that serves as kitchen and dining room and is significantly smaller than the living room and includes the basics. A fridge, an oven, a washing machine, a microwave and some cupboards for storage. The small area that is considered the dining room holds a table and two chairs.

It is a two bedroomed apartment, with each room containing a double bed, stand-alone wardrobe, bedside table and desk which is presumably for them to complete college work, since the apartment is technically a student apartment despite the fact Steve is not actually a student. There is a shared bathroom which has a toilet, sink and bath that doubles as a shower. The apartment is small, but it is cosy and it is their new home so they both love it no matter what.

The first night in the apartment is spent curled up together on the sofa, a blanket wrapped around their bodies to keep them warm since they have yet to pay their electricity bill. Robin unpacks some of her VHS tapes and the pair order a pizza which they eat while watching movies. Steve falls asleep at some point during the third movie and wakes up in the early hours of the morning with a crick in his neck, Robin draped across him and their boxes sprawled through the apartment, half emptied.

Steve and Robins' first weekend in California is spent unpacking boxes, getting settled into their new apartment and searching around town, trying to get their bearings and see if anywhere is advertising for any extra help. Steve is in search of full-time work while Robin is seeking a part time job that she can work around her college classes just so she can make a little extra cash. She has saved enough from her part time work at both Scoops and Family Video, but she wants to experience new things while in college and she doesn't want the constant worry of money to overtake. They manage to find a few places that are advertising and they both hand over their CVs in a hope of getting a response.

By Monday, the pair are officially unpacked and ready for their new life in Berkley. Robin dives head first into college and the life of a college student. She spends her time attending Freshers events, meeting multiple new classmates and learning all about what her freshman year would entail. Her classes don't officially start until her second week, but there is still plenty of fayre’s and events for her to participate in and meet potential classmates. She looks into extracurricular clubs and events and immediately signs up for an LGBT group that catches her eye, excited about the prospect of finally getting the chance to be her full self, to be open.

Robin will forever be grateful that she has Steve in her life. The male had given her a safe space to be herself without worry or concern. Had you told Robin three years ago that Steve Harrington would know her deepest secret and not give a damn about it then she would have thought you were going crazy. A lot happened in the underground tunnels of Starcourt Mall, a lot Robin wished had not happened and would never wish to relive. But a small part of her can't help but be thankful for the drugs the Russian's pumped into her system that allowed her to develop the courage to tell Steve the truth.

But, no matter how great Steve is, he was still a straight male. He may have given her a safe place, but she was excited about the prospect of finally meeting other queer people. Robin had spent a lot of her life feeling alone and like no one would understand. The only other gay she had conversed with in Hawkins was Will Byers, but he was still in the early stages of his sexuality and discovering that he liked boys rather than girls and it was more of him coming to Robin for someone to talk to, for some advice. Robin had originally reached out to him in order to offer some reassurance that he was not alone with his feelings, but Robin had never fully come to them terms herself so it was a little difficult.

While Robin was making the most of her new life as a college student, Steve spent his week on the hunt for a job. He needed a job as soon as possible if he wanted to stay in California with Robin and so he was determined to find one, handing out CVs to anyone who would accept them.

By the time Friday rolled around they were both feeling the effects of the very busy week, but when Steve got a call on Friday morning from a Walmart close to their new apartment, offering him a chance to come in for a trial shift on Monday morning, the pair decide to go out and celebrate. Robin has heard from fellow college students about a Freshers party happening at the student union which was open to all new students who were also allowed to bring one non-student guest, allowing her to extend the invite to Steve so the pair could head out for a night of celebrating and drinking.

The two of them have a good night, meeting new people and drinking into the night. Robin had somehow managed to score them both a fake ID before they had left Hawkins and they used it to their advantage. The pair had never been out like this together before, parties were a thing of Steve's past when he had met Robin, and her high school social circle was not the type that got invited to parties. The closest the pair had ever got when in Hawkins was getting drunk at Steve's house while sharing a joint.

They spend the majority of the night in the middle of the dance floor, dancing together and meeting dozens of Berkley's freshman students. They have conversations with people they have never met and probably share information that they will never remember in the morning thanks to the amount of alcohol they have consumed. The students union closes at 2am, and by this point the duo have drank a significant amount and so they stumble there way home, arms wrapped around each other while they sing at the top of their lungs, drunken lyrics from the songs they have just listened to.

Saturday is spent recovering from their Friday night shenanigans, nursing their headaches, flushing vomit down the toilet and feeling completely sorry for themselves. Neither of them starting to feel any semblance of normality until Saturday night when they have finally finished puking and managed to keep some food down. Sunday is spent completing the tasks they were unable to do on Saturday, including getting ready for his trial shift for Steve, and getting everything she will need for her lessons organised and packed in her backpack for Robin.

Steve drops Robin off at the University on Monday morning, the campus is in walking distance of their apartment but he needs to take the car to work so he doesn't mind dropping Robin off as he passes. They wish each other luck before Robin climbs out of the car and head their separate ways, promises of meeting back up at the apartment later that day to share stories and then maybe go out for celebratory food.

Steve's day goes as well as it can do. The job isn't that impressive, it's a standard shift job that he's used to already. It sees him stacking shelves, working the check out and unloading stock from the back room. The store is large and has over 30 employees on its pay roll, with around half working at any given time. It is significantly bigger than both Family Video and Scoops Ahoy which usually saw only him and Robin working together, but Steve finds he likes the heavy staff rotation. All the staff that he meets are friendly and happy to show him the ropes without complaining or moaning. A few of his new coworkers are part timers who attend college and Steve files that away for when he is more established that he can try get Robin a job as well. 

By the time his shifts comes to an end, his supervisor is impressed and praises his work ethic. He offers Steve a job, calling him into the office to sign an initial 20 hour contract, with his new boss explaining that their will be plenty of opportunity for his contract to grow as his time at the supermarket increases, and how hours are flexible anyway with plenty of chances to pick up extra hours. Steve is more than happy with all of this and signs on the dotted line, pleased that he has already managed to source an income when he has only been in California for a little over a week.

Robin's first day goes just as well. She thoroughly enjoys all her classes that she has that day, completely fascinated by everything her professors have to say, she feels in her element. Robin meets some cool new students as well after she gets partnered with a girl during her controversy in contemporary art class. The girls seems significantly more outgoing compared to the girls she is used to in Hawkins. Those girls were all very similar, preppy girls who flirted with all the boys in high school before settling down with their high school boyfriends and becoming the perfect housewife.

The girls moves to sit beside Robin and introduces herself as Cat with a bright smile and firm handshake. Robin would describe Cat's style as almost grungy, with the faded band shirt, black skater skirt and fishnet tights that are paired with a pair of black socks and black combat boots. Robin almost feels insecure in her sweater and jean combo that she threw on that morning in the rush to get out of the apartment. The pair get on immediately and after talking about the project the teacher has tasked them with, they get onto the topic of common interests. Robin finds that she has a lot in common with Cat, and when she notices the small rainbow pin attached to Cat's denim jacket that she pulls on, she figures that might be another thing they have in common.

Cat invites Robin to join her and her friends for lunch since they have a break between classes and Robin readily accepts. Cat introduces Robin to her group fo friends, who from the outside look like they would not go together, but the hour lunch break spent with them shows the clear bond between them. Cat introduces a girl named Beth who is Cat's roommate and Robin feels is similar to herself. Then there is Kim who lives in the dorm next to Cat and Beth, she seems significantly more girly compared to the other two girls with her floral dress and sweet demeanour, but it doesn't take Robin long to work out that even though she is girly, she also has a fiery wit to her.

Half way through their lunch they are joined by Joey and Harry. Joey is similar to Cat in personality, while Harry is Kim's boyfriend and they can tell they go well together. Joey and Harry are roommates which is where the links to the groups form. By the end of lunch Robin feels like she has gained a new group of friends and she hopes they feel the same way as she hopes to continue spending time with them.

Cat asks Robin if she is living in halls like the rest of them, and when Robin explains that she is actually sharing an apartment just a little way off campus with her best friend, the group insists that Robin and Steve meet up with them for dinner tonight so they can officially meet him. Robin agrees in a heartbeat because she knows Steve will be happy to join them, the two of them had mentioned going out themselves and she knows her friend won't mind making it a group thing. He has been the one who is constantly saying that they needed to make more friends there own age when they finally moved out of Hawkins.

Robin gets home half an hour before Steve, but when he does finally return they spend a good hour sat together and talking about their day. Robin is thrilled for Steve and the news that he has managed to secure a position at the supermarket, and Steve is thrilled in return that Robin had a good day of classes and that she has made some friends. He is happy with the idea of meeting up with them and Robin is forever grateful that he best friend is a social butterfly who strives of meetings new people and finds it easy to mix. 

The group meet at a small pizza place half way between campus and the apartment. There are two new members of the group that Robin had not met previously. A girl names Jenny who is Kim's roommate and a boy called James who lives in halls with Joey and Harry. Steve introduces himself, laying on his typical charm and it takes Robin back to a time when she had only known Steve as the coolest guy at Hawkins High, able to charm anyone who came into contact with. Steve then cracks a joke, almost knocks water over a passing waiter and Robin's goofy best friend is back. The group of nine all squeeze themselves into a booth at the back of the restaurant and spend the night getting to know each other and having a good time. Laughing at new inside jokes that they make up, Robin and Steve fitting in with them like they have always belonged with the group.

The next month goes smoothly, the group that Robin had met on her first day become an easy fixture in both hers and Steve's lives and they spend significant amounts of time with the group, attending parties or just going to places like the cinema or bowling. Robin is closest with Cat and Jenny, while Steve hits it off with Joey and the pair almost become a comedic duo. Robin joins her LGBT group and finds both Cat and Joey are at the first meeting. Joey identifies himself as bisexual while Cat identifies herself as lesbian.

Steve waggles his eyebrows and smirks when Robin tells him about the new development, but she simply rolls her eyes in response. Steve has been trying and failing to set Robin up with someone ever since he found out about her sexuality, and while Robin appreciates that this is one way of him showing how accepting of her he is, he really does not need to try and set her up with every girl they meet. Cat was great and Robin can admit that she is hot, but Robin does not feel the chemistry between them is anything but platonic. They are good friends, nothing more. But there are some other cute girls in the LGBT group and Robin is glad to finally have a space in which she can openly talk about her sexuality without the fear that usually consumed her.

Robin's classes were going great as well. She finally feels in her element and is loving her college experience. Cat is in the majority of her classes as well since they are both doing very similar majors. Whenever they have classes over the course of the day, members of the new friendship group will meet up between breaks depending who is free, often to get coffee or food and do a little bit of studying before their next class. 

Steve's job is going great as well. He has managed to get on the good side of his supervisor who seems impressed with Steve, often dishing out compliments about how great his work ethic is. It makes Steve feel proud in a way because when he thinks about it, he can probably count out on one hand the amount of times someone has complimented him on something other than his looks. 

Steve enjoys his work, he typically works across five days a week and most of the time he is able to get Saturday off which gives him the time to hang out with Robin and their group of new friends. He gets on well with many of the other full time workers who are the ones he is mainly on shift with. He particularly gets on well with a girl called Steph and one guy called George who he works the majority of his shifts with. Both of them are a few years older than Steve, fresh out of college and have yet to find a postgraduate job. But considering the majority of his other full time coworkers are over 20 years his senior, the few extra years of Steph and George don't bother him.

A couple of weeks into the college year, when Robin is settled into classes and Steve is settled into work. Robin decides to apply for a part time job at the supermarket and is quickly brought on. She ends up working on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after classes and then works the stock on Sunday afternoons once the store is closed and they need to get the new stock ready for the new week. Steve will occasionally work a late shift on the same night as Robin and if they are working the same section they always have fun. Steve then works the same Sunday shift as Robin every week so they can spend their afternoons laughing in the stock room while they unpack boxes upon boxes of food and drink.

Over his time in California, Steve has managed to fit in easily with Robin's group of college friends, he enjoys their company and at this point he would consider them just as much his own friends as Robin's. The group never once bat an eyelash over the fact Steve is working instead of attending college with them. Since their initial meeting at the pizza place all them weeks earlier, Steve has found himself sometimes spending time with the group without Robin. Sometimes she might be busy with work, or busy with studying, yet the group will still invite him to come along. Sometimes it will be the whole group and other times it might be just a few of the group, Steve forming a close friendship with Joey out of all of them. Sometime the group will come over to his and Robin's place, sometimes they go to their places in halls. It is nice because Steve had initially been worried that they were just putting up with him for the sake of Robin. It's reassuring to know they actually like him and want to spend time with him.

It feels nice, because apart from Robin, he feels like he has never had a solid friend his own age. When he used to spend time with Tommy and Carol, he was an arsehole and they were shitty friends who never really cared about him and quickly ditched him when he changed his mindset. He loved the party and he valued his friendship with all the kids, but at the end of the day they were five years younger than him, they weren't at the same stage of their lives as Steve. His new friends were, they were similar in age and going through stuff he could relate too. Plus, it was nice to have friends who weren't linked through the Upside Down, who didn't know about that side of his life.

Robin and Steve are settled, enjoying their life in California. Robin occasionally complains about the heat, saying that her fair skin was not made for the constant hot weather and Steve reminds her they are still in the Fall, it's only going to get hotter as the seasons change and they head towards summer. Between classes, studying, socialising and working, their time in California is moving fast and soon the holidays are approaching.

Halloween is first and the full group are heading out for a Halloween party. They spend the weeks before planning everything, it's decided everyone will come over to Steve and Robin's place first for some predrinking and prepping before they head out to the party and then depending on how the party is, they might head out clubbing for a little bit afterwards. Costumes are made and Steve and Robin dress up as David Bowie and Prince respectively. Steve channels his inner Ziggy and ends up dresses as David's most iconic character, Robin working her usual magic to give him the famous face paint. Robin purchases a bright purple suit from a thrift store near their apartment, makes some altercations that make it unique to her, pairing it with a fake afro and inflatable guitar. 

The rest of their friends arrive at their apartment just before 7pm with plans to head back out at 9. Everyone looks good, with Joey, James, Cat, Beth and Jenny dressing up as the characters from The Breakfast Club while Kim and Harry are dressed as Danny and Sandy from Grease. They order some pizza so they can line their stomachs before they drink their bodyweight in alcohol. They do some shots before they head down to the party which is happening in a student house close to campus. They stay till just after midnight, drinking the suspicious looking punch and dancing without any worries in the world. Kim and Harry decide to head back to Harry's room at midnight while the others make the decision to continue with the night. Heading to a club they go to often which is having its own halloween party. Steve and Robin end up stumbling back to their apartment in the early hours of the morning, a little high from inhaling weed from other smokers and drinking more vodka than they were able to keep track of.

After Halloween, Thanksgiving quickly comes around. Steve and Robin originally planned on staying in California, but Robin has a three day break from college and after a lot of guilt tripping from her parents over the phone, Robin decides to head home for Thanksgiving and spend some time with her parents. Steve knows that although Robin has a good relationship with her parents, she loves them and they love her, she has always felt a little distant from them and living in California is only widening that distance. Her parents are very traditional and set in their ways and Robin constantly fears that if they ever found out the truth about her and who she is attracted to then they might disown her. It breaks Steve's heart that his best friend doesn't feel like she can be her real self with her parents. Robin going home for the holidays will at least keep her on track with her parents and there relationship.

Steve's parents were not home for Thanksgiving, they had told him they would not be home until Christmas so Steve contemplates staying in California and picking up some extra shifts until Robin invites him to come home with her and spend Thanksgiving with her and her family and then a few days later, Dustin calls and offers his own invite for Thanksgiving. In the end, Steve decides to take Dustin up on the offer, he loves Robin and spending time with her, but he feels like Robin should have some time with her parents without him hanging round. Plus, he is fairly sure her parents already think the two of them are in a relationship no matter how many times Robin denies it, so why add fuel to the fire?

Steve also knows just how quiet the Henderson's household can get during the holidays. It is just Dustin and his mom ever since his dad left them when Dustin was younger; and even though Dustin worships his mom, he knows he craves other interaction as well. Plus, Steve adores Mrs. Henderson and she is the best cook he has ever come across, between that and wanting to catch up with Dustin, he is glad to accept the offer.

Since Robin's three day break from college falls at the end of the week, the pair decide to stay in Hawkins a little longer and extend their break through the weekend. Since they only have the five days off where it would take at least 6 days to completely the round journey by car, Steve buys him and Robin plane tickets instead, Robin offers to pay Steve back when her next paycheque comes in, but Steve brushes it off. The flights are billed to his dads credit card and he takes it as a present for not bothering to come home for the holidays.

Their flight leaves early on the Wednesday morning, landing just before midday. Dustin and his mom are waiting by arrivals to pick them both up, originally Robin's parents were going to come also, but it seemed pointless to have two pickups when they were going to the same place so it was agreed the Henderson's would pick them up and then Robin's parents would drop them back off on Sunday. Dustin is practically bouncing on his feet when they spot him and Steve can't help the smile that stretches across his face, honestly Dustin and the rest of the party are the only things Steve has missed about his home town. He pulls the younger boy in for a tight hug when they are finally close enough before turning to hug Mrs. Henderson and thank her for letting him stay over the holidays.

The four of them head out to the car, Dustin talking a mile a minute about what he has been up to. Since moving to California, Steve and Dustin have been in regular correspondence, with them setting up a weekly phone call where they chat about their weeks and any new stories they have so Steve is pretty up to date on what his friend has been doing. They drop Robin off at her parents house before heading on to Dustin's. Mrs. Henderson has prepared the spare room for him, so Steve unpacks the few things he has brought with him for the long weekend before heading out to help Mrs. Henderson and Dustin in prepping the pumpkin pies for the meal tomorrow before the three of them settle in for the night.

Thanksgiving with the Henderson's is officially the best Thanksgiving Steve has ever had. Even when he was younger and his parents were actually home since they couldn't legally leave him alone, he can never remember the holiday been as nice as it is with the Henderson's. His parents never cooked their own meal, they simply hired someone to cook the Thanksgiving meal for them. They then sat around a table, said what they were thankful for and then ate the meal in silence.

At the Henderson's everything was home cooked and everyone helped to prepare the food. Mrs. Henderson played some music on the record player and the three of them spent the morning prepping the food and getting ready for the meal they would be eating together later that day. Steve helps with the cranberry's and the stuffing but leaves everything else to the experts. Dustin and his mom have a well-oiled machine going by now and Steve doesn't want to run the risk of disrupting their system and being the reason they don't get their dinner on time.

When the food is completed it is mid afternoon and there is a warmth atmosphere in the house. It's a tangle of limbs as they all plate up there own food before sitting down in their seats to say grace and say their thanks before tucking into the delicious food. It is so different to his own home, their is no awkward silences, the music still plays in the background and conversation flows easily. Dustin talks around his food without caring that everyone can see the food he is eating since his mouth is wide open. His mom chastises him but she has a fond smile and does nothing more to stop him talking with his mouth full.

Once they have eaten all the food and feel like they might burst, they all work together to wash the pots before settling in on the sofa in the living room for a movie. Mrs. Henderson curls up in her usual chair with Tewes curled up on her knee, while Dustin and Steve spread themselves out on the sofa, taking one side of the sofa each and draping a blanket over them as the movies plays out on the television. It's not a movie that Steve is familiar with - his movie knowledge improved significantly during his time working at Family Video, but not enough that he has an extensive knowledge and backlog of movies - this one is black and white, not something he normally goes for but it's clearly a favourite between Dustin and his mom and Steve ends up enjoying it anyway.

The following day they decide to meet up with the rest of the party and head to see a movie at the small independent theatre in town. Ever since Starcourt Mall burnt down the previous year, no real investment has come to Hawkins and they have been left with what was in town before they built the mall which really isn't that much at all. Mike can't make it because of a prior family engagement, but Steve enjoys meeting up and seeing all the kids again. He loves Dustin and is definitely closest with the curly haired boy compared to all the others, but he still loves spending time with all of them.

They all seem to have shot up since he last saw them, the majority of the boys are now similar in height to Steve and he also notices that Lucas seems to have filled out a little and he wonders if he had been working out recently. El and Max have changed as well, they are starting to look like young women now and in some ways it freaks Steve out. It feels crazy how different people can be in just a few short months, the party have been kids for so long and he isn't sure if he will ever think of them as anything other than that. But seeing them right now makes him realise just how old they are, how much they have grown. They are all coming up to the age that Nancy was when they first met the fate of the upside down, just as year younger than Steve was.

Robin joins them for the movie as well, explaining how annoying her family have been with a roll of her eyes, but Steve also notices the small, fond smile that graces her face and knows his friend is enjoying her time with her family. The group sees The Karate Kid Part 2, Steve using his dads money to buy them all some drinks and snacks, his dad had placed a few hundred bucks into his account as consolation for not been home for Thanksgiving and Steve doesn't even hesitate to spend it on his friends. 

He ends up sandwiched between Robin and Max in the theatre, Max has El on her other side and so he spends his time throughout the movie chuckling at Robin's snide remarks about how captivated Max and El seem to be by Ralph Macchio. Once the movie is finished they head over to Benny's for dinner, all of them craving hamburgers and milkshakes.

Much to the horror of Steve, they bump into Tommy H and Carol who are exiting Benny's as they arrive. They are quick to send a jab his way about the company Steve has and how low his life must have reached for him to be socialising with a bunch of children. Steve refuses to let it get to him, simply tells Tommy it was nice to see him before sliding past the pair and into the dinner. He doesn't miss the rock decorating Carol's right hand and the small bump underneath her jumper. Robin sends him a look with a raised eyebrow and Steve knows she noticed as well, and so despite the jabs sent his way, Steve knows that he is one winning at life over the two of them.

He cannot ever imagine a life in which he is twenty years old and settling down in Hawkins with both a baby and a wedding on the way. Steve wonders if the pregnancy was planned or happened accidental. Part of him reckons that it was all planned so that Tommy had an actual excuse to work for his dad and why Carol is not attending college or even attempting to work, another part of him reckons it was accidental and that they are now stuck with no where else to go.

Steve can't help but wondered if he would have been on a similar path had he not took a step back from the pair back in junior year, if he had not changed his social group and became wise to certain things. It definitely makes him realise he made the right decision in life, sitting around the circle booth in Benny's. He is very thankful for the way his life has gone and the people that he has in his life. There is still a lot of things that Steve has to work out in his life, but he knows no matter what he will always be okay thanks to the company he has chosen. 

The group spend over two hours sat in that booth at the back of Benny's, just chatting together and catching up. Steve chats with Will about a new art class he is taking, listens to Dustin as he raves about the latest tech gadget they have got for the AV club, learns that Max and Lucas have broken up and made up once again since he was last in Hawkins and he listens to El talk enthusiastically about high school and everything she has learnt since she officially started last August when Hopper deemed it safe enough for her to finally attend and Steve knows how important school is the El.

They talk about the upcoming wedding as well, Hopper and Joyce are finally tying the knot next April and have already started the planning process. Steve was already aware of the wedding after him and Robin got the informal save the date phone call with the promise of a more formal invitation to come. Will and El share stories of the stuff they have been planning already, including the fact their parents have ended up extending the list of guests they are inviting.

Eventually they call it a night when Lucas' mom arrives to pick him Will and Eleven up, letting Erica out for five minutes to catch up with everyone since she is a sort of part of the group and even though she is Erica so she would never admit it, she is friends with Steve and Robin. Robin gives Steve, Dustin and Max a ride home since she has her dads car that she has borrowed for the day. Somehow Steve ends up in the back with Max while Dustin rides shotgun. Max asks him about California interested since she had lived there before moving to Hawkins two years prior and Steve engages in the conversation. Over the past year Steve has grown increasingly closer to the red headed girl. He had always been closer to the fiery red head compared to some of the other kids since he was there when she first discovered about the Upside Down, plus when they originally met she had no idea about his past history with some of the others. 

After the events of Starcourt the two had grown even closer once more. Max had found herself in a situation which she was struggling with, she had lost her brother in the events of the Starcourt battle and it became a bit of a sore spot. Billy had never been a particular good guy, in fact he was one of the worst people Steve had ever some across. He had been a dick to Max and her friends on a regular occasion, often attempting to both bully and intimidate the group. But despite all of this, he was still her brother. Her friends didn't really mourn the loss of Billy, he hadn't exactly made a positive impact on the lives of them and they didn't really miss the torments and taunts he used to feed to them. They quickly moved on and Billy rarely crossed their minds.

But Max didn't, no matter how strained their relationship had been, he was still her older brother and she just could not forget him.She still missed him and grieved his loss. In the end she had turned to Steve who had offered her a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen too. He had hated Billy as much as everyone else, he still held the ghosts of the injuries the younger male had inflicted upon him, but he was still willing to talk about him with Max because he knew that she needed it. 

At first they had met up to rant about Billy, rant about how much of an arsehole he was. But then, overtime, Max started to confined in Steve about Billy and some of the secrets she held about her brother. She told Steve about how he would regularly take a beaten from his dad, how the beatings had got worse over the years and in particular when they moved from California to Hawkins. Max confines in Steve about a diary she had found and the things that Billy had wrote about in said diary. About how he had often took the blame for things that he hadn't done just to ensure that Neil never laid a finger on Max. About how the reason he had tried to keep Max away from Lucas was because he knew how badly his dad would take the news of Max dating a black guy. She told Steve that the biggest secret she had learnt from the diary was learning the truth about why they had really moved from California. She always knew it had something to do with Billy, but she had discovered that it was because her stepdad had discovered her brother in a compromising position with another man. Some of the diary entries had made it clear that Billy had been severely bullied by his dad in order to try and make him repress his sexuality.

This had been the only time that Steve had relayed to Robin something from his conversations with Max. He had always kept their chats a secret because he felt they weren't his secrets to tell. But he couldn't help but confine in Robin about Billy's sexuality. Robin didn't seem all that surprised telling Steve she had always had her suspicions about the blonde boy, had said that she felt Billy had clearly overcompensated with the whole ladies man image. Told Steve about how Billy generally tried to seduce older, married women who more times than not would enjoy the flirting but turn him down when it started to lead further.

Over the year, Steve had begun to treasure his conversations with Max, he was glad he could be her shoulder and allow her to talk in a safe space without her worrying about been dismissed by her friends. It allowed her to get her feelings out without taking it out on her friends and jeopardising their friendship when they didn't understand why Max felt any sort of sympathy towards Billy. Then, their conversations had begun to evolve to ranting about other things away from Billy.

The rest of the weekend goes by quickly and soon they are bidding farewell to family and friends, promising to see them at Christmas when they return for the festive season. They fly back to Berkeley and Joey greets them at the airport since they had left their car at the apartment rather than pay for parking and he was the only one available to give them a ride home. He asks them about their time at home and what they got up to before sharing his own stories about his own Thanksgiving with his own family. They invite him up when he drops them off at the apartment, but he turns them down and so the pair head inside just the two of them.

It feels nice to be back, returning to the apartment that they've made into their home. Steve enjoyed his time back in Hawkins and seeing all his friends, but he can't deny that he is happy to be back in California. The apartment is significantly more homey compared to when they first moved in at the end of summer thanks to the small personal touches they've put in place, it is their pictures on the walls, their clothes in the closets, their furnishings dotted around the place.

It has been a long week for the two of them and it feels like they've been travelling for a long time, and so, without even bothered to unpack, they dump their bags by the door before collapsing onto the sofa together, deciding to order some pizza and spend the night watching television. It feels eerily similar to that first night in their apartment.

The next month follows in a similar fashion to the previous months since they have moved to Berkeley. Steve works, Robin attends classes and works, and they spend free time with their friends. They attend college parties, getting drunk and occasionally getting high. They go on road trips and visit new places in and around Berkeley. Sometimes the whole group joins them in the trips, sometimes it is just Steve and Robin. It feels good, it feels like they are finally living their best lives.

Along with everything else, Robin finally starts to go on dates. She only goes on a few in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and none of the dates go anywhere, but with the active LGBT community in Berkeley and the avid encouragement from Steve she finally has the courage to start taking steps towards dating and actually getting some experience. 

Living in Hawkins all her life has meant that Robin barely has any experience when it came to dating and relationships. Sure she had crushes on girls growing up, had admired them from afar while at school or found female celebrities on her televisions sexy. But that as all admiring from afar, day dreaming during his boring classes. She hadn't even had her first kiss until she was sixteen and that was after a party with everyone from band, everyone had drank a little too much beer, got a little too drunk and played a game of spin the bottle. Robin had spun the bottle and felt almost relief when it landed on Georgie instead of one of the many lads sat in the circle. The girls had pecked each other, Robin pretending it was a little weird to be kissing girl because she knew that was expected. That was where Robin's experience ended.

Steve, bless his heart, attempted t give her advice and knowledge about girls and dating, thought he was been helpful despite the fact that the similarities in their dating lives started and finished with attraction to girls, and that Robin dating a girl was significantly different to him dating a girl.

That been said, Robin was still very grateful that Steve was more than willing to listen to her about the dates she goes on. He doesn't care when she climbs under his bed sheets in the middle of the night so she can share her worries and anxieties about dating. There was no jabs or sneers about her lack of experience, he never mocked her for been a 19 year old virgin who had never even made it to making out with someone. Instead he listenes intently and then tries his best to give her tips on how to make the date a success.

None of the girls that she dates end up making it past a few dates; she just wasn't feeling it between them and didn't feel like their was any chemistry between them. But she appreciates the experience that the dates give her. She even finally reaches the stage of making out with one of the girls and she has to admit that it was nice, in fact it was nice enough for her to return home and giggle about it with Steve who was desperate for all the details. That one girl had ended up been the one to end it rather than Robin who had decided to call it quits with the rest of the girls. The girl is honest with Robin, tells her that she just isn’t looking for anything serious and Robin appreciates her honesty, she was hoping for something a little more and so is glad it ends when it does of the other girls doesn’t want something like that.

Steve tries dating as well, but admits to Robin that he was more interested in an actual relationship rather than just dating. He felt he had done the whole dating scene during high school, he had hooked up and dated several girls over his four years at Hawkins High. Yet, even though in the end it had only brought him heartbreak and upset, the happiest he had ever been was when he was in an actual relationship with Nancy and he felt that most of that was not because of Nancy, but the actual relationship part, the getting to dote on a single girl part.

Like Robin, Steve goes on a few dates with different women, but none of them seem to go much further. They never have the right chemistry or interests for it to have enough promise of a future relationship that can last more than a month or two. Steve definitely feels like he has got his mojo back now that he is living in California and no one knows his history or his background. No one knows about his absent, overly rich parents, they don't know about his behaviour in high school and how much of a shithead he was, how he acted out, picked fights and hollered derogatory terms around without a care for others feelings. They don't know about him crashing to the bottom and his struggle to work his way back up again.

Instead, Steve is just a twenty year old male who works in a supermarket, shares and apartment with his best friend and has amazing hair. He has started to work out a little bit as well, deciding to join a gym since he had nothing better to do with his time when he wasn't working and his friends were busy with school. His chest is becoming a little more defined and thanks to the lovely weather that Steve is taking full advantage of, his skin has developed a lovely sun kisses glow. His friends keep telling him he looks good and he feels good as well. 

Soon enough the holidays have creeped up on the pair and Christmas has arrived. The pair decide to return home for holiday since the college is closed for 3 weeks over Christmas break and Steve's supervisors are fine with giving Steve the time off since they have plenty of workers on rota who live in Berkeley and can work over the holidays. Steve's parents have called him up and told him that they would be home for Christmas and so this time he is actually returning home rather than staying with friends. Both Robin and Dustin had once again extended invites to him, and even though he would much rather spend the festive holidays with his friends, he can't deny spending the day with his parents, he can't imagine the backlash it would cause.

Their group of friends are also heading back to their homes for Christmas, they are all spread out around America to see their own families and hometowns. Once again, Steve and Robin have booked onto flights, it is quicker and easier and cheaper for them. Robin's parents pick them up when they touch down in Indiana; excited to see their daughter and Steve can't help the familiar tug that pulls at his insides whenever he sees parents so happy to see their child. He often wonders if there was ever a time when his own parents felt glad to actually see him. In recent years he has come to believe that he was only born out of his dads need to pass on the family business. Steve can't help but feel a little smug about how that has backfired because under no circumstances is he taking over the business, he would rather work for minimum wage at a supermarket for the rest of his life.

There are no cars in the driveway and the house looks completely empty when Robin's parents pull up on his driveway. He sees the way Robin brings her lip through her teeth in the worry that she is going to be leaving Steve in the big empty house. Robin is the only one he has ever told the truth to about his parents, he has told her about the endless months he spent on his own while his parents jetted off around the world without a single thought for their young, teen son at home. Robin's parents ask him if he is sure he would not like to join them for dinner and he knows they have picked up on how eerily quiet the house seems to be, but he assures them he is fine and that he just wants to get settled back in at home. Robin slides out of the car when Steve does, rounding the car to bid him a brief farewell. He assures her that he will be fine and she pulls him in for a tight hug and tells him she will see him soon. Steve knows his best fried and he knows that her hug is also an invite, an invite to her house if he ever wants to come round.

Of course the house is empty, Steve isn't surprised as he had guessed it from outside. Yes his parents had insisted he be home for Christmas to celebrate with them, but he can not see them arriving in Hawkins till Christmas Eve at the earliest. The house is cold and dark so he flicks on the lights, taking note that the house is immaculate, clean and spotless. Steve guesses his parents must have paid for a cleaner to come in because even with the clean state it is obvious no one has been living in the house for some time. Once again the thought of why his parents have never bothered to sell the house crosses his mind. They were rarely in Hawkins so he doesn't understand why they don't just sell and relocate, they don't even have him as an excuse anymore.

The house is anything but ready for Christmas, over the last few years Steve has been the one to decorate and make the house feel a little more festive. Steve can't remember a time when his own parents ever decorated the house, even when he was younger it was always his nanny who decorated rather than his mom or dad. This year, with Steve gone it was clear no one had bothered with decorating. With a sigh, Steve heads upstairs to put his bag away. He already had a few clothes and other items in his closet that he had left when he moved, he had mainly left his warmer clothes since he knew he would have less use with them in California, so he hadn't packed much for the trip home.

His bedroom was exactly the same as it had always been, exactly how he had left it. His room was always the one place in house he felt safe and secure in, it was the place he escaped to when he didn't want to face his parents, the place he would tuck himself away in following the aftermath of the battles when the house felt to big and empty. It was clear someone had been in the room to clean up, his bed was pristinely made and all his furniture was gleaming. But even after a clean everything was still in its place and Steve takes a few moments to take it all in. When he first headed to California he had took a few possessions with him, but ultimately had decided to leave most things behind because he felt like he wanted to start new. Most of the stuff in his room were expensive, empty gifts from his parents over the years, always gifting him with something whenever they stood him up.

He mainly looks at the photos that littered his room. Once upon a time his room had been devoid of any photos or memories, he hadn't really had anything in his life that he felt he wanted to remember. His love for photographs hadn't started until he got with Nancy, when he started to take photos with her. This had evolved into photos with the party, snapping pictures with the kids during their hangouts. Then he had met Robin, Robin was obsessed with photography, she loved taking photos and capturing memories. She loved it to the point that Steve joked with her about how she was Jonathan's secret spirt animal. As his friendship with Robin grew, so did his photo collection.

He takes in all the photos with his friends, the ones Robin had took, sometimes when they were posed and expecting the photos, others were they were candid and loose. Sometimes Robin was behind the camera, sometimes she was in front. Whichever way, all the photos made him smile. His favourite photo stood on his bedside table - while a second copy stood on the bedside table in Berkley - and it was a picture of him, Robin and Dustin, pulling goofy faces as whoever was taking the photos. Steve vaguely thinks it might have been Lucas. He likes it because it was took right before Robin graduated high school, right before they had another battle with the upside down and the monsters. But the picture doesn't show that, instead it shows three young people who seem to have no cares in the world, there are no monsters or battles lurking behind them. A small part of Steve remains in a constant state of panic that something will happen while he’s away, so it’s always nice to think of carefree times

Steve is just about to start unpacking when the sound of the doorbell draws his attention. He briefly wonders if it could be Robin, maybe he left something in her car, he then thinks about how it might be the mailman, knowing his luck it will be a package from his parents explaining they can't make it home for Christmas after all. He heads downstairs and opens the door, not expecting to find two children - who are barely children now - stood at his front door with matching smiles on their faces. 

Dustin launches himself at the older male, pulling him in for a tight embrace. Dustin is almost the same height as Steve now and so it feels a little weird when he wraps his arms around Steves shoulders, it feels like only yesterday the kid was a good foot shorter than him and he could ruffle his hair in an affectionate manner. Lucas is behind Dustin, greeting Steve with a high five since he has never been a big hugger. Steve invites his friends inside, he hadn't been expected anyone to show up tonight but he still finds that he is not totally surprised by the company of the two party members. Dustin has been annoying him none stop the last few weeks about when he was returning home.

Neither male were satisfied with the lack of festive decorations in Steve's house and he somehow finds himself been convinced by the other two teens to start decorating the house. He ends up taking one of the spare cars his dad has sitting in the garage so that he can go buy a Christmas tree for the living room. The three of them pick one out that is decent in both size and colour before they head back to the house so Steve can dig out some of the old boxes of decorations that are kept in the basement before they spend the afternoon decorating Steve's house and catching up.

Dustin and Lucas tell Steve all about how everything has crashed and burned over at the Hargrove's house in the last few days. They tell Steve that a few weeks ago, Hopper had pulled Neil over for speeding and when Mr. Hargrove was breathalysed it revealed his was heavily intoxicated. Apparently Neil had tried to blame his state on the fact he was still grieving the death of his late son, but Hopper had no choice but to bring him into the station and when he was putting it through the system a whole history of offences had come to light.

According to the boys, Neil had been given multiple warnings from the LAPD regarding abuse towards his previous wife and his son when they were living out there; when they had started to get too close to find out the truth, Neil had uplifted the family and moved them across the country, using the pretence that he was doing so in order to stop his son getting led astray by the 'queers' he was associating with. This new found information had meant Hopper had kept Neil detained before doing some investigating of his own.

A whole backlog of abuse finally came to life and suddenly it was public news around Hawkins. Everyone talking about the abuse Neil had been inflicting onto Billy on a weekly basis even after the move from California. Dustin explained that many had been quick to turn on max's mom, accuse her of neglect and blaming her for allowing Neil to continuously beat Billy in their home. The three of them were quick to admit this was a ridiculous notion, if you were living with someone who was willing to abuse their own son then you would probably be scared to report it. Plus, she had Max to protect as well. 

In their past conversations, Max had told Steve about her stepdad abusing Billy and he knew that Neil had regularly threw a punch at Billy without a second thought, that often Billy had took the beatings because he was worried his dad would turn on Max if he didn't. With the stories Max had shared, he wouldn't be surprised if her mom was scared of Neil.

Lucas tells him that since it had all gone down, Max had not been allowed out of her house. Her mom was keeping her in the house and so they had limited interactions with her, just some small conversations here and there when she could use her walkie talkie without fear of her mom listening in. The two males were clearly frustrated by this and Steve understood why, they obviously just wanted to know their friend was okay. 

Once all the decorations were finally up, Steve ordered them pizza and they made plans to meet up with everyone as they ate. Arrangement were made to meet up at Steves house just before lunch on Christmas Eve with the rest of the party so they could have their own mini celebrations before they went home to celebrate with their own families. Steve's house seemed the perfect place since his parents weren't due in until late on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve morning before everyone has arrived, Steve takes the initiative to brave it and head over to the Hargrove house in a hopes he can convince Mrs. Hargrove to let Max come over to his house to see everyone. Mr Hargrove is still in police custody and Max was still been kept on house arrest since the comments and attacks towards her mom were still active around the town. But Steve knew her friends missed her and just wanted to see her. It takes Steve about fifteen minutes of sweet talking and promises, but soon Max is bounding down the path towards his car with a bright smile on he face, pretty much throwing herself at Steve for a hug and whispering a thanks in his ear. 

The two of them arrive back at Steve's and wait for the rest of the party to arrive. Robin is the first to arrive, not even bothering to knock but simply barging into the house like she owns the place. She hugs Max with a giddy smile, Steve had informed her of everything Dustin and Lucas had told him and so Robin was fully aware of everything that had been going on in Max's house and how difficult it was for Max to be here today.

Dustin is next to arrive, thrilled to see both Max and Robin - who he had yet to see since the pair had landed in Indiana - and he was quickly followed by Mike who could only stay for a few hours before he had to return home for a family get together with his extended family. Lucas and Erica both arrive about half an hour afterRobin had arrived. Lucas ecstatic that Steve has managed to get Max out of her house. Will and El arrive last, also with a time limit as Joyce has some plans for her family evening in preparation for the next day.

Once everyone has arrived they all sit around in the living room, him and Robin nursing a glass of hot mulled wine and the kids nursing glasses of hot, sparkling cider even after protests for the wine, and swap gifts. Steve had bought everyone a cheesy Christmas jumper for them to wear for their get together and pose for photos in. Along with the jumpers he had also got everyone another small gift.

He had bought Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Will some geeky D&D memorabilia from some small independent shop in Berkeley. He also brought Dustin some nerdy tech stuff that he didn't really understand. He had bought Max some skateboard stickers and some new knee pads. For Eleven he had bought her some new clothes - under the watchful eye of Robin - since the young girl had grown quiet interested in fashion over recent years. For Robin he had bought her a scrapbook to store and show off the photos that she was constantly taking, along with a pair of concert tickets for some band that she was always raving about. The party had bought him and Robin some joint presents for the apartment, an almost gift box of sorts. Dustin had bought him some mini figurines of some character that reminds Dustin of Steve, and then Robin had bought him a movie collection of some classics that she claims are a must have.

Once presents have been swapped they spend the rest of the afternoon alternating between listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. Eventually the party begins to trickle out thanks to other commitments they have with family. Soon there is only Robin, Dustin and Max left at Steve's place. The four of them curled up together on the sofa under a thick knit blanket, watching Gremlins while eating gingerbread and drinking festive drinks. This is how Steve's parents find the group, arriving home earlier than Steve expected. Steve sits up from where he is slouched against Robin's side, surprised to see his parents home before sundown. His mom greets them all with a polite smile and hello greeting, while his dad just offers a tight smile and Steve can easily pick up on the fact his parents are less than thrilled to see his house filled with teenagers. Steve takes this as his cue to take his friends home.

He drops Robin off last, she invites him in for a drink before he heads home, but he declines her offer because he knows his parents will be mad if he doesn't return quickly. He hugs her goodbye and promises to see her in a few days before heading home to the big house with the emotionally stunted parents.

The rest of his Christmas break goes by fairly quickly. Christmas day is fairly boring. His parents order the Christmas roast from a local restaurant rather than cook one themselves, they sit around the large table with his dad sat at the head of it, eating their meal in silence. They swap presents after dinner, Steve receives more money from his parents while he gifts them with some clothing and alcohol. The afternoon is filled with the three of them gathered in the living room, watching black and white movies, drinking and barely conversing. It is extremely boring and anything from the fun, active day he had experience when he spent Thanksgiving at the Henderson's. He makes his own silent view to ensure that when he has his own family in the future that the holidays will never be a quiet event.

Steve has never been so glad to be back in California. When he visited home for Thanksgiving he had missed their place in Berkeley but he had also had a great time at Dustin's. This time he had been counting down the days until he was leaving the big house with his silent parents and heading back to California, the place where he actually felt at home.

Over the next few months everything follows in a similar fashion to the ones before, Steve works, Robin attends college and they spend time together and with friends whenever they can. Soon enough it is coming up to the end of February and suddenly Steve’s 21st birthday is upon them.

In true Robin fashion she goes all out for his birthday and it makes Steve appreciate his best friend even more because he can’t remember a time when someone was bothered about his birthday and about making it a big deal. The weekend before his birthday Steve gets the biggest surprise when Robin somehow manages to persuade Mrs. Henderson to let Dustin fly out to California, she pays for his flights and organizes everything, all the while managing to keep it a secret from Steve. Steve can barely believe his eyes when Robin asks to borrow the car so she can pop to the shop and then returns an hour later with his favourite curly haired teen in tow.

Steve was just as excited about Dustin’s arrival in Berkeley as Dustin was about his visit. Steve and Robin spend the weekend with Dustin, showing him all their favourite places in their new home, taking him to some of the best sights around Berkley and catching up. Dustin has a great time in California with his friends and getting the chance to see where they live now. He is a little disappointed to learn just how far away LA is from Berkeley as he had hoped to have a tour of Hollywood, see the famous Hollywood sign and do a little celebrity hunting. Steve promises Dustin that he will take him to LA another time, another visit when they have longer than two days.

Dustin brings them stories from back home. Neil Hargrove has officially been arrested for his numerous accounts of abuse and neglect and is now serving a five-year sentence which Steve does not believe is justice for what he did but it as least something. He tells Steve all about the planning for Mrs. Byers and Hopper’s wedding that most of the group are involved in. Steve and Robin had received their formal invites last months and had already RSVPd yes and made plans to get home for the wedding. It was very close to Spring break and right around the same time as Robin’s finals, but they knew they could make it work. They wouldn’t miss Hopper and Joyce getting married.

On this actual birthday he spends the day with just Robin. Dustin has already returned home since he still had school and he has plans with their other friends the following weekend. They decide to have a night of doing what they love best. Robin orders them a pizza and they drink some beers now that he can legally drink, laughing and having a good time. Robin gifts him with plane tickets to Rome this summer.

The pair are planning to do some traveling over the summer, neither want to spend three months back in Hawkins, they would rather make memories instead. These plane tickets are the start. She also gets him some records of his favourite bands and singers and a homemade collage which contains multiple pictures of the two of them since they moved to Berkeley.

The weekend after his birthday, the rest of their friends throw him a party slash night out. They all meet up at Joey and Harry’s room for predrinks and Steve ends up drunk before they even leave for the night club after a few rounds of beer pong and several shots of tequila. They all head to some nightclub downtown that they have never been to before and Steve feels a buzz of excitement at getting to use his real ID rather than the shitty fake one he had been using.

He is wearing a pink fluffy princess tiara on his head and has 21st birthday sash across his chest, both of them gifts from his friends. He spends the night on the dance floor, dancing with friends, drinking even more alcohol and having a good time. He is pretty sure he makes out with some girl at some point but he can’t really remember. By the end of the night, Steve is completely hammered, stumbling back to his apartment, wrapped up with Robin who is only slightly less drunk than himself. The pair giggling like they’ve just watched the funniest film every and crashing down on Steve’s bed together, not even bothering to take their clothes off.

The pair spend the Sunday afterwards nursing their hangovers. Steve feels like his head is about to split open and he hugs the toilet for the best part of the morning, only moving when Robin needs the toilet to empty her own stomach. But even though he is suffering the worst hangover of his life, he knows it was worth it and that it was the best birthday he has had in a long time.

With his birthday out of the way and the seasons turning to Spring, plans are starting to get made for Spring Break. Steve and Robin have the wedding right after Robin’s last final and so in the end they plan on driving back to Hawkins and then plan to stay there for a few days after the wedding before heading back home. For Spring Break itself, the two of them are heading to Daytona Beach with everyone else in the small group of friends.

The drive back to Hawkins is long and the three days seem to drag but Steve doesn’t mind that much, him and Robin alternate between driving and arguing over who gets a say in the music they listen too. They spend their nights in cheap motels, getting one room since neither of them care about sharing a bed with one another since they have done it plenty of times before, and they might as well save some extra money for Daytona Beach.

One the day of the wedding they somehow end up sleeping through the alarm and worry that they won’t make it to the church in time; taking turns to drive while the other gets ready for the wedding in the back of the moving car. Luckily both Steve and Robin are able to change and be ready for the wedding by the time they are pulling up in front of the church ten minutes before the ceremony is due to start.

Everyone is still gathered outside the church much to their relief, Robin clutches onto Steve as they make their way over since she’s so uncomfortable walking in the heels that she is wearing. Steve wants to laugh at his best friend because since knowing Robin he has never seen her in a pair of heels and this is the proof on why she shouldn’t be wearing them. He wonders when his best friend will decide to ditch the heels, because knowing her he is pretty sure it will be sooner rather than later.

Everyone is gathered together, Steve greets Dustin and his mom before greeting the others. All of the Wheelers are there as well, Steve smiles towards Nancy but doesn’t make to greet her in any other way. Him and Nancy are on friendly terms now, but it’s never going to be great between the two of them.

Steve isn’t bitter about Nancy’s relationship with Jonathan, he himself can see that the pair are better together than him and Nancy ever were, and Steve is glad with the way his life has gone since they broke up. But, this doesn’t take away from the fact Nancy did sleep with Jonathan while her and Steve were still technically together, or that fact that Nancy stayed with him and continued with their relationship when she had always wanted to be with Jonathan. That would always sting because he just wishes she had been honest with him instead of leading him on. But that was in the past, he was in a good place in his life and so he was willing to be friendly with Nancy when he needed to be.

The ceremony is beautiful and simple and exactly what he expected from a Joyce, Hopper wedding. They had been invited to the reception afterwards and so everyone piles out of the church after the new bride and groom before heading off towards separate cars with promises to meet back up at the hall where the reception was been held. Steve decides to see Mrs. Hargrove before heading to the reception. He knows things still aren’t great in the household and that Max is still having to spend most of her time at home rather than with her friends. Steve has a feeling that Max’s mom won’t be planning on coming to the Reception and he wants to try persuade her to let him take Max to the reception and bring her home.

Mrs. Hargrove is happy to let Max go with the two of them and so the three of them all pile into Steve’s BMW and follow everyone over to the hall. Robin is quick to ditch her heels in the footwell of the passenger side, letting out a large sigh as her feet hit the air and both Steve and Max let out a laugh at their friend. She changes into a pair of black high tops that she had stashed away and Steve isn’t surprised at all. In fact he believes they go with her outfit better than the heels did anyway, and they feel more like Robin.

Once they arrive at the hall the rest of the night is filled with catching up, laughing and dancing. Steve takes full advantage of the fact he is the only one able to legally drink while everyone else has to stick to soft drinks. He has a short conversation with Nancy at the bar and it’s nice, there is no hostility there as they pass pleasantries about what they have been up to and the children they both care for. The conversation doesn’t last long before Dustin is calling him back and he says bye to Nancy before joining his friends once again, handing Dustin the drink he had ordered for him.

Robin is giving him a knowing look and eyebrow raise but Steve chooses to ignore it. He knows exactly why she is giving him that look. Robin had never been a huge fan of Nancy Wheeler and became even less so when Steve told her all about what went down between the two of them. Robin was the only person who had ever told him that he deserved better than Nancy and although he wasn’t sure he really believed her, it was still nice to hear.

By the end of the night, Steve is a little buzzed. He isn’t drunk enough that he is unaware of anything, but he is drunk enough that when him and Robin are stood to the side sharing a cigarette she tells him that she is going to drive them all home since they are now taxi to two children and she doesn’t want to risk their safety.

Somehow Steve ends up in the backseat of his own car, sat with Dustin who is just as grumpy about been demoted to the backseat since he apparently has eternal shotgun privileges when it comes to Steve’s car. Steve is last to be dropped off and Robin decides to spend the night. She had initially thought about taking Steve back to her house, but his parents aren’t home so it makes more sense to head to his place rather than hers.

The house is empty just like predicted and it has a thick layer of dust covering many of the surfaces which is a sign no one has been home for a while now. For the millionth time, Steve wonders why his parents don’t sell this house, he isn’t living here anymore, has no plans to return to Hawkins on a full-time basis anytime soon and his parents clearly still spend the majority of their time elsewhere. Steve knows if his parents sold the house then he would still have a place to stay when he came home for holidays and such. Both Robin and Dustin would happily let him crash at their places.

But, since the house is still there, him and Robin stumble inside, Steve feeling a little more unsteady on his feet than he did when they left the reception and he wonders if it was the motion brought on by having to sit in the back seat since he can’t remember when he last sat in the back of a car. Robin gets him a glass of water and Steve thanks the heavens that she is in his life, before they head upstairs to sleep for a long time.

The next five days in filled with similar activities that he usually gets up to whenever he is back in Hawkins, he spends time with the party, driving them around to where they want to go, hosting movie nights and D&D nights, before it’s time for him and Robin to start the drive home. His parents don’t make an appearance the entire time Steve is home, even though he had told them that he was coming home for the wedding. But at this point Steve is past caring about whether he sees his parents or not.

The three day drive back to Berkeley is the same as the drive to Hawkins, filled with music, arguments over music and laughter with stop offs at cheap motels in between. Just a couple of best friend’s road tripping it across the country. Steve thinks it is crazy how different his life has turned out to be, if anyone had asked him five years ago where he would be after graduation, he never would have said he would be best friends with a crazy, nerdy band geek who was the opposite to him in so many ways, but was single handedly the best person he had ever met. Five years ago, he doubts he would have had the courage to leave his steady life in Hawkins and follow an uncertainty across the country on a whim that it would all work out in the end.

The duo are not back in Berkeley long before they are getting ready for Spring Break. Their small group have hired a campervan for them to travel in since it’s a long drive and they would rather be together They had originally looked into flying down, but since it was such a popular destination the flights were all coming out fairly expensive and although Steve knew he could probably afford to buy everyone the tickets, he also knew his friends wouldn’t be that accepting of a gift that large. So instead they plan a road trip and head out on the road.

It was different to the trips him and Robin have done since there are so many of them. This meant more people to argue over music choices, more stories to tell and more laughs to be had. They stopped over in cheap motels just like the duo always do, squashing into two or three rooms between them to save on money, and would often stop to take photos at any famous or quirky landmarks they passed on the drive. Everyone is happy and carefree and it is wonderful.

It has taken him 21 years, but Steve has finally found a group of people who are actually his friends. They weren’t just trying to sponge of his money, or gain something from his status. They were his friends because they actually liked him, they enjoyed his company and even though it had taken him 21 years to get to this point, he would not redo his life in the risk of losing what he already had.

They arrive at the motel they are booked into for their stay at Daytona Beach. Steve is sharing his room with Robin, Joey and James while the others are split between rooms next door. It definitely isn’t the best place Steve has ever stayed in, the room is small and dingy and it doesn’t look like it has had the best clean. But the bedsheets are clean which is really all that matters since they won’t be spending that much time in the motel anyway.

The rest of the week is a blur of drinking and fun. Steve isn’t sure if he is even sober once for the entire week and makes the silent promise to give his liver a rest once they finally return home. It seems the party is just continuous with no real break and Steve finds himself sleeping at completely random times both day and night. He parties with all his friends, dancing and singing and laughing. He meets new people who are young and just looking for a good time; exactly like himself. Girls don’t know who he is, don’t give a damn about his name or his lack of life goals, girls who simply think he looks good and want to spend time with him. Which he doesn’t mind at all.

By the time their group is finally heading back to Berkeley, Steve feels like he has drunk his body weight in alcohol and thrown it all back up. He has hooked up with some girls whose company he enjoyed and he felt like he had the best time of his life. For most part of the road trip back, if it wasn’t his turn to drive then he napped in the back of the campervan and attempted to rehydrate himself. The journey back definitely seems more subdued than the drive down, partly because the party and excitement is over, partly because they are all tired from the events of the week. But there is still an appreciation among them for the good time they have had over the week and silent promises to return next year.

With Spring Break over it feels like the end of the college year is rapidly approaching. Robin heads into her final semester of Freshman year and can’t quite believe that her first year of college is almost done. It has been the best year of her life, she has enjoyed every moment of it and feels like it has flown by. She has exams and final deadlines approaching, sometimes she ends up staying awake until the early hours of the morning trying to cram in as much studying as possible before Steve wakes up and reprimands her for staying up too late.

While Robin is getting ready to finish her first year, Steve is finally getting ready for the next step in his life. Since returning home after Spring Break, Steve finally decided to sit down and really think about what he wants to do in his life, in his future. He knows that he doesn’t want to remain working in retail jobs for the rest of his life, and he knows that he definitely does not want to end up back in Hawkins working with his dad. Spending Spring Break with a bunch of college students who had a vague idea about where they would like to be in ten years’ time, Steve decided it was finally time to learn what he was passionate about and what he would like to pursue. After a few late nights and some guidance from Robin, Steve had worked out that he would like to work with children and young teenagers.

He really enjoyed his friendship that he had with the party and the relationship he had developed with the bunch of misfit children. Robin pointed out to him that he had brought a lot to the party. He had helped them gain in confidence, looked out for them when they needed someone, offered them advice when they felt they needed it and had no one else to turn to. He was good with them and he enjoyed their company, why not try to make some sort of living out of that?

He brainstormed loads of ideas about all the different careers he could have that involved working with children and teenagers, from teaching to childcare. But in the end, he landed closer towards the guidance counsellor route rather than actual teaching. He felt this would be something he would be good at.

With his career decided he started to look into possible college course since he knew he would need some sort of college education to be qualified to be a guidance counsellor. Steve wasn’t ready to leave Berkeley yet, he really loved his life here, with Robin and the rest of his friends. But with his less than average high school grades and two gap years under his belt, he didn’t have the merits to get into Berkeley University. Instead he applies for come classes at the local community college who accept him after a small interview and induction, Steve knows this is a step in the right direction because the credits he will get from the community college course will hopefully transfer towards a more credible, college degree.

Steve won’t start his college class until September when all the other University students start back up, so it gives him plenty of time to get ready the next step. His parents brush off the idea when he tells him about his plans for next year, neither of them is impressed that he has decided to stay In California and attend a ‘mediocre’ college rather than return home and start work with his dads’ company.

The party are thrilled for him, becoming his almost cheerleaders along with Robin. Dustin tells him how proud he is that Steve has finally found his passion in life while the others congratulate him for take the next step towards his future. Steve can’t believe his life now consists of a bunch of 15 and 16-year old’s giving him their approval, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

With Steve’s future plans officially set with him officially staying in Berkley for another year - not that he had planned on leaving even if he hadn’t managed to work out his future career path - him and Robin decide to extend the lease on their apartment for another year. They haven’t caused any trouble or damaged anything so their landlord is more than happy to let them stay and the pair have ended up loving their shared little apartment.

Their friends from college have plans to move into a shared house for their second year since their living arrangements in the dorms were up and they had invited Steve and Robin to join them in the house share when Harry and Kim decide to get an apartment just the two of them. But, even though it would probably be nice to live with the others, the pair had become attached to their own, small apartment with just the two of them and neither wanted to let it go just yet. Besides, they figured they would just spend nights at their friends’ houses after parties and what not.

With everything sorted for the next academic year, Steve and Robin turned their plans to the summer. Most of their friends were heading home, but the two of them had decided to do some travelling. They wanted to experience things, see new places and try different cultures while they were still young. The plan was that they would spend the summer in and around Europe, they would start with Italy before heading to Spain, France and finally ending up in the United Kingdom.

They were doing it on a budget as much as possible, although Steve did put some of the expenses on his dad’s credit card. Honestly, he was surprised his parents were still funding it after their obvious disappointment in his life choices, so he figured he might as well take advantage while he could. The two of them booked flights at god awful hours of the day and night flew with cheaper airlines across the different European countries and they mainly booked into cheap hotels that were the basic bed and bathroom.

Robin’s birthday came around in June, just before they were set to head off on their trip since college had officially finished for summer at the end of May. Robin flew home for the weekend closest to her birthday in order to spend some time with her parents since she wouldn’t get much time at home over the summer. Steve didn’t accompany her on this trip even though he wouldn’t have minded seeing his friends. Work had already been incredible generous with the time off he had already had, plus his supervisor had offered to keep his job open over the summer so that he could return when he got back home.

Robin returns with presents from her parents and the party, mainly stuff that she can use on their travels. Her folks had paid for some attractions they wanted to do in the cities they were visiting, while the party had given her all sorts from European maps to essentials that they insisted should be kept in her backpack at all times. Robin also passed along the groups well wishes to Steve, with a message from Dustin about how they needed to stay safe but come back and visit them before classes started up again.

On her actual birthday they have a similar day to Steve’s birthday, they spend it together, eating pizza and watching crappy TV. Steve bought her a cake and sang happy birthday to her before giving her, her gift. His gift was plane tickets and hotel accommodation for two in New York City at the end of June to coincide with the annual New York Gay Pride March; Steve explaining it was to start of the summer of travelling.

Although she would never admit it to anyone, the gift had made her feel very emotional because she had never received something so thoughtful in all her life. When Robin was first coming to terms with the fact she was different, that she wasn’t like every other girl in her class who were swooning over the latest male pop-star, she had done some research.

She will always remember how she caught a bus to the next town over from Hawkins in order to search their public library for information. She remembers feeling scared about conducting the research in Hawkins because of the fear that someone might discover her search history and it may become public knowledge. In the library she had quickly and fairly easily found books and news articles and old news reports about people who were attracted to the same sex rather than the opposite sex.

It hadn’t taken her long to learn that although there was an increase in same sex relationships and there was no longer a law that forbid same sex relationships from happening, same sex relationships were still considered a taboo within society and that she probably would not be accepted if she wanted to pursue a relationship with another woman. She read horror stories about people getting sent off to conversion camps to try cure them of their sexuality.

But through the many horror stories, she always remembers reading about the LGBT community in New York City. She had read articles about how people from across the globe came to the city to celebrate their differences and promote themselves. She read about the community coming together and marching together to show the world that they were happy to be themselves and that they were done hiding.

Robin remembers reading the stories and thinking that was the dream, to finally find others to come together with and celebrate with. Robin never believed she would ever have the courage to speak out about her sexuality, to come out to anyone and always felt she would need to keep that part of herself a secret; and so, the thought of NYC Pride Parade was just another far off dream that would never come true.

She never thought in her wildest dreams that she would have the chance to go when she was only 19 years old. That at that age she would be happily open and out to a bunch of friends who didn’t give a damn that she was attracted to the same sex. She never thought her dream would come true thanks to a former douchebag who was a hundred percent straight but still supported her blindly and gave her the confidence to be herself.

She had never been to New York before, Steve had known this just like he knew everything else about her. So, their flights got them into New York a few days before the actual parade so that they could do some sight-seeing beforehand. They had packed all their bags, made sure they had everything they needed, locked up their apartment and left the keys with Jenny who was staying in Berkeley and so had promised to check on their place, water the plants and make sure no one broke in.

The hotel Steve had booked them into was a little better than some of the ones they had booked across Europe since it was her birthday present, but it wasn't mega luxurious because even though he could have afforded it, Steve had not wanted to spend too much that it made Robin feel uncomfortable, he wanted to make sure she had the best weekend attending the one event she thought she might never get to go to.

Robin adores New York and quickly adds it to her list of favourite places. She loves how busy the city is, with life and people bursting from the scenes. It’s already clear the town is getting ready for the big event and Robin spots the signs of support through the rainbow flags hanging from some windows and displayed in some shops. It’s the first time in her life that she’s felt like maybe the life she wants to lead could be seen as normal.

On the day of the parade her and Steve get ready. Steve is more than happy to accompany her to the parade and stand by her side, and Robin knows how valuable it is that she had someone who is straight yet completely willing to emerge himself in the LGBT community. The pair had got themselves some custom-made T-shirt’s to wear. Steve’s was black with rainbow lettering printed on the front that read ‘my best friend is a girl who likes girls...’ and then “...but I don’t give a fuck.’ Written on the back. Robin’s is a white vest top that has the words ‘love has no gender.’ typed across the chest, alongside a picture of a rainbow.

Robin also bought herself some rainbow leg warms to wear over some leggings and tied some rainbow hair streaks into her hair. Steve had bought them both matching rainbow friendships bracelets to wear and they each have a rainbow flag to wrap around their shoulders.

When they get down to the parade, Robin cannot believe her eyes. She’s seen the photos but they were all black and white and not great quality. They definitely do not match up with what she is seeing right now. She can’t believe how many people have actually turned up, there seems to be LGBT people everywhere she looks, all wearing rainbow coloured clothing and accessories. She didn’t even know there was that many LGBT people out there and she is suddenly aware that maybe she isn’t so alien after all.

It is an incredible feeling because sure she has Steve who doesn’t give a damn about her preferences, she has her group at school who come together to celebrate their differences. But it is nothing like this, nothing on this scale. There are so many people, different ethnicities, backgrounds etc. and they have all come together for one thing which is to celebrate their uniqueness and their differences. To celebrate themselves.

Robin can’t believe the atmosphere and she really can’t believe that Steve Harrington presented her this opportunity. He’s beaming beside her, seems overjoyed for Robin that she has finally found a place where she doesn’t feel different. With a smile, Robin links her arm with the best friend any girl could ask for, and the pair head into the crowd of people. Robin knows this is the perfect start to what will be a great summer filled with great new experiences and exploring new places before she heads into her new year at Berkeley. All of it with her best friend in the whole world by her side.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope you liked chapter one. I wasn't sure about it, i've never wrote a fic with no dialogue before but I got 3/4 of the way through before realising it had no dialogue and couldn't really finds ways to slot it in.
> 
> Anyway, if you like the story, comments and kudos are appreciated. If you want to chat, you can also find me on tumblr at mrjacobsantiagos. Thank you.


End file.
